Safety device for air-brakes.



' PATENTED NOV. 5, 1907.

APPLICATION FILED AUG 28. 1907 IN N ATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAM GUFFEY, OF ARKANSAS CITY, KANSAS.

SAFETY DEVICE FOR AIR-BRAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1907.

Application filed August 28, 1907. Serial No. 390,508.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN WILLIAM GUrFnY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Arkansas City, in the county of Cowley and State of Kansas,have invented a new and useful Safety Device for Air-Brakes, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to air brakes for railway cars and other rollingstock and more particularly to a safety device for automatically settingthe brakes in case of derailment of said cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a pipe section or tube havingits intermediate portion rigidly secured to and depending from theplatform of the car and its opposite ends provided with frangibleextensions disposed between the truck wheels said tube being connectedwith the train pipe so that in case of derailment, one of the truckwheels will sever the adjacent frangible extension thus causing areduction in the train pipe pressure with a consequent application ofthe brakes.

A further object is to provide the pipe section or tube with a turningplug or valve for cutting off communication between the train pipe andsaid tube.

A still further object of the invention is to generally improve thisclass of devices so as to increase their utility, durability andefficiency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description,it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minordetails of construction may be resorted to within the scope of theappended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification:Figure l is a top plan view of the platform of a car provided with asafety device constructed in accordance with my invention, a portion ofthe platform at each end of the car being broken away to show theposition of the safety device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same.Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view partly in elevation of one end of thepipe section or tube.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of thefigures of the drawings.

The improved device forming the subject matter of the present inventionis principally designed for attachment to freight cars, engine tanktrucks and other railway rolling stock and by way of illustration isshown in connection with a rail-way car of the ordinary construction inwhich 5 designates the platform of the car 6 the trucks pivotallymounted on the platform and provided with the usual traction wheels 7.

The device consists of a pipe section or tube 8 having its intermediateportion supported by hangers 9, the latter being rigidly secured to theplatform of the car at the front of the axle 10, as shown. Threaded onthe opposite ends of the pipe section 8 are elbow couplings 11 and 12 toone of which is secured a similar elbow coupling 13 carrying a frangibleextension 14 which extends transversely of the car to a point adjacentthe inner face of the contiguous wheel and is provided with a threadedcap 15. Secured to the elbow coupling 11 at the opposite end of the pipesection 8 is a T coupling 16 which communicates with the train pipe 17and is provided with a frangible extension 18 similar in construction tothe extension 14 and which terminates a short distance from the innerface of the opposite truck wheel, as shown.

The frangible extensions 14 and 18 are provided with weakening grooves19 so that in case of derailment of the car the wheels of the truck willengage and break the adjacent transverse sections at the weakeninggrooves 19 so as to permit the reduction of the air pressure in thetrian pipe and thus apply the brakes.

Interposed between the T coupling 16 and train pipe 17 is a turning plugor valve 20 provided with an operating handle 21 by means of whichco1nmunica tion between the pipe section 8 and train pipe may becontrolled at will. It will thus be seen that in case of derailment ofthe forward or rear truck of the car said truck will slue around to theright or leftand in doing so one of the Wheels of said derailed truckwill fracture the adjacent frangible extension and permit the escape ofair so as to automatically apply the brakes and stop the car, in themanner before described.

The attachment may be readily repaired after each derailment of a car byremoving the broken pipe from the couplings 13 and 16 with a wrench orother suitable tool and screwing new frangible members in saidcouplings, as will be readily understood. In case the nec essary toolsand frangible members to effect the repairing of the device are nothandy or accessible, the train pipe 17 may be used in the ordinarymanner by rotating the handle 21 of the valve so as to close the latterand thus cut off communication with the train pipe and the pipe sections8.

Attention is here called to the fact that the frangible extensions aresevered or broken by contact with the wheels of the truck as contradistinguished from contact with the rails or cross ties of the road bed,this result being accomplished by rigidly securing the pipe sections tothe platform of the truck between said traction wheels.

It will of course be understood that one of the safety devices will bearranged ateach end of the car and that the several cars in a train maybe equipped with similar devices.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that there is provided anextremely simple, inexpensive and efiicient device admirably adapted forthe attainment of the ends in view.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. The combination with a rail-way car including a train pipe, of a pipesection rigidly secured to the platform of the car and communicatingwith the train pipe, and frangible portions carried by .the oppositeends of the pipe section and adapted to .be broken by contact with theadjacent car w heels upon the derailment of said car.

2. The'combination with a rail-way car including a train pipe, of a pipesection extending transversely of the car and rigidly secured to theplatform thereof, and extensions carried by the opposite ends of thepipe section and provided with -weakening grooves, said extensions beingarranged between the wheels of the car and adapted to be broken bycontact.with the latter upon derailment of said car. w

3. The combination with a rail-waycar including a train pipe, hangersrigidly secured to the platform of the car, a pipe section supported bythe hangers and provided with frangible portions disposed between thewheels of the car and adapted to be broken by contact with said wheelsupon derailment of the car.

4. The combination with a railway car including a train I pipe, of apipe section depending from and rigidly secured to the platform of thecar and communicating with the train pipe, frangible portions carried bythe opposite ends of the pipe section and adapted to be broken bycontact with the adjacent wheels upon derailment of said car, and avalve interposed between the pipe section and train pipe for cutting offcommunication between the two.

5. The combination with a rail-way car including a train pipe, hangersrigidly secured to the platform of the car, a pipe section extendingtransversely across the car and supported by said hangers, frangibleportions extending longitudinally from the opposite ends of the pipesection and arranged between the wheels of the car, said-frangibleportions being provided with weakening grooves and adapted to be brokenby contact with the wheels of the car upon derailment of the latter, anda valve interposed between one end of the pipe section and the trainpipe for cutting off communication between the two. v

6. The combination with a railway car including a train pipe, hangersrigidly secured to the platform of the car, a pipe section extendingtransversely of the car and supported by the hangers, frangible portionsengaging the opposite ends of the pipe section and providing terminalcaps, said frangible portions being arranged between the wheels of thetruck and provided with weakening grooves adapted to be broken bycontact with the wheels of. the car upon derailment of the latter, and avalve interposed between the pipe section and the train pipe forcontrolling communication between the two.

7. The combination with a rail-way car including a train pipe, hangersrigidly secured to the platform of the car, a pipe section extendingtransversely of the car and having its opposite ends curved upwardly, anelbow joint secured to one of the up-turned ends of the pipe section, aT coupling secured to the opposite up-turned end of said pipe section,detachable frangible portions threaded in the elbow and T couplings,respectively, and extending between the wheels of the car, saidfrangible portions being provided with weakening grooves and adapted tobe broken by contact with the wheels of the car upon derailment of saidcar, and a valve for cutting off communication between the train pipeand pipe section.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WILLIAM GUFFEY.

Witnesses Faun A. Gonm), E. T. MILLER.

